TOKYO - Japan is keen on providing continued support to the Kingdom, which is a very important player in the region and a main supporter of efforts to attain peace and stability in the Middle East, according to a Japanese foreign ministry official.
"Jordan is a very important strategic partner for us. The Kingdom plays an active role to achieve peace and stability in the region and globally and it is a moderate Arab state that we will continue to support," Naoaki Kamoshida, principal deputy director of third country assistance planning division at the Japanese foreign ministry said in an interview with The Jordan Times last week.
Stressing that Jordan remains crucial to finding a just solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Japanese official said his country is committed to continue working with the Kingdom to develop it in various sectors.
Kamoshida said in spite of "difficult" financial conditions in Japan, where public debt amounts to 180 per cent of the gross domestic product, his country will be working with the Jordanian government to prioritise projects to be implemented in the Kingdom.
"We want to work on strategic projects in line with Jordan's priorities. Japan is also to increase loans given to Jordan," Kamoshida added in the interview on Wednesday at the ministry's headquarters in Tokyo.
He also referred to the Kingdom's peaceful nuclear programme.
"We are very interested in the nuclear plant programme," the Japanese official said, adding that several Japanese companies are also interested in the scheme.
In September, Jordan signed a nuclear cooperation deal with Japan that covers uranium exploration, nuclear reactor construction, protection against nuclear radiation and the management of nuclear waste.
The Japanese official, who noted that his country implements a variety of projects in Jordan in several fields such as water and tourism, added that there is much room for cooperation in the energy sector.
"If the Jordanian government requests cooperation and support in the field of energy, we are ready to look into that," Kamoshida said.
He also noted that Jordan is vital to the implementation of the "Corridor for Peace and Prosperity" initiative, which Japan proposed in 2006 to encourage projects that promote regional prosperity and enhance the situation of Palestinian businesses and companies.
Under the initiative, an Agro-Industrial Park will be established in Jericho along the border with Kingdom, he said, adding that the idea is to make the park a hub for Palestinian industries and to export their goods to the world through Jordan.
"The project is ongoing and Jordan is very supportive. We expect the park to be ready by the end of 2012 and start gathering Palestinian factories and help them expand their work," he said.
By Mohammad Ghazal
© Jordan Times 2010
